Now that Eli Lilly is cutting prices on some of its insulin products, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is seeking to build on that momentum and has introduced a bill that would place a $20 cap on all insulin, a move designed to drastically lower costs for millions of Americans.
The legislation — dubbed the Insulin for All Act — would prohibit all insulin manufacturers from charging more than $20 per vial. In explaining the move, Sanders noted that Lilly did not reduce prices on all of its insulin products and that the other two big suppliers of the lifesaving diabetes treatment — Sanofi and Novo Nordisk — have not committed to lowering their prices.
“There is no reason why Americans should pay the highest prices in the world for insulin — in some cases, ten times as much as people in other countries,” said Sanders said in a statement introducing the bill, which is being co-sponsored in the House by Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.). “… In the richest country in the history of the world, no one should die because they cannot afford the medication they need.”
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